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Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
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Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
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Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
43 articles
Newest firstSubstance use disorders (SUDs, including alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and tobacco) represent significant public health challenges. The estimated heritability of SUDs is ~50% and many individuals experience multiple SUDs concurrently. Studies have demonstrated the existence of genes shared across multiple SUDs, and identifying these SUD-shared genes is critical to developing novel prevention and treatment strategies…
Open article record in new tab ↗Epigenetic mechanisms are thought to contribute to neurodevelopmental vulnerability for psychiatric disorders, yet longitudinal evidence linking DNA methylation (DNAm) to brain maturation and psychopathology is limited. Using epigenome-wide DNAm (372,582 CpGs) and whole-brain structural MRI data from the IMAGEN cohort (n = 506, ages 14–19), we identified 18 co-regulated DNAm clusters, ten enriched for brain-expres…
Open article record in new tab ↗The persistence of HIV latent reservoir is the major challenge to HIV cure because latent viruses serve as sources for viral rebound upon ART cessation. Mechanisms regulating viral persistence are not well understood; thus, there is a compelling need for research focusing on addressing the knowledge gap related to HIV persistence. The present study focuses on the effect of extracellular condensates (ECs) on latent…
Polysubstance use disorders ( ≥ 2 substance use disorders (SUDs)) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. We analyzed data from 92,233 adult participants in the 2022-2023 US National Surveys on Drug Use and Health to estimate past-year prevalence of polysubstance use disorders and to examine their associations with age of substance use initiation. Multivariable logistic regression and Poisson regression…
Open article record in new tab ↗Cannabis use is linked to elevated psychosis risk, yet the neurobiological mechanisms that couple use to symptom expression remain unclear. Because glutamatergic dysregulation has been implicated in both cannabis effects and psychosis vulnerability, we examined whether brain glutamate relates to dimensional psychosis symptoms as a function of cannabis use across the psychosis spectrum. Seventy-nine participants-ty…
Open article record in new tab ↗Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a major public health crisis, underscoring the urgent need for safer and more effective treatments. Cannabinoid CB2 receptor (CB2R) agonists show therapeutic promise for neuropsychiatric disorders and pain, with minimal psychoactive effects by themselves, but their potential in treating OUD is not well defined. Here, we report that MRI-2594, a novel, highly selective CB2R agonist,…
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental condition in which pharmacological and microbiota-targeted interventions are emerging as promising therapeutic avenues. Animal models are the main tool to investigate etiology, molecular mechanisms and screening for pharmacological therapies. Methodological differences, outcome measure variability, incomplete reporting, biological con…
Open article record in new tab ↗Gut-brain signaling influences alcohol consumption and addiction behaviors. We found that selectively deleting cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) from advillin+ peripheral sensory neurons eliminates the inhibitory effect of the peripheral CB1R antagonist JD5037 on voluntary ethanol intake (VEI). Similar results were seen in mice with CB1R deletion in Phox2b+ nodose ganglia (NGA), but not in Wnt+ dorsal root ganglia. Th…
Objective Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is highly relapsing and has been associated with structural brain alterations (e.g., white matter and cortical thickness) in pathways and regions critical for a healthy brain. The development of non-abstinence-based interventions is essential for restoring structural alterations in CUD. Physical exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, may promote neuroplastic changes in brain…
Open article record in new tab ↗The rising legal acceptance of cannabis and the high comorbidity between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) highlight the importance of understanding how stress and cannabis influence the brain. We recently discovered that cannabinoid use promotes two PTSD-like symptoms: avoidance coping behaviors and the generalization of stress-coping responses to a neutral stimulus. Here, we u…
Open article record in new tab ↗Epigenetic responses to cannabis use could link cannabis use to health problems. We examined the DNA-methylation profiles of long-term cannabis users in midlife, re-evaluating a set of 246 cannabis-associated methylation markers that were previously identified in other studies. Data were from the Dunedin Study, a five-decade longitudinal study of a birth cohort (analytic n = 787). Peripheral whole blood was drawn…
Pharmacological modulation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) through dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists, commonly used for diabetes and obesity, shows promise in reducing alcohol consumption. We applied drug-target Mendelian randomization (MR) using genetic variation at these loci to assess their long-term effects on problematic alcohol use (PAU), binge drinkin…
The rising prevalence and legalisation of cannabis worldwide have underscored the need for a comprehensive understanding of its biological impact, particularly on mental health. Epigenetic mechanisms, specifically DNA methylation, have gained increasing recognition as vital factors in the interplay between risk factors and mental health. This study aimed to explore the effects of current cannabis use and high-pote…
Although alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent, only a few medications are approved for its treatment leaving much room for improvement. Cannabidiol (CBD) might be a particularly promising candidate, with preclinical data suggesting that CBD is effective in targeting AUD symptoms and disease processes that drive alcohol use and relapse, due to its anti-craving, stress-reducing, and anti-compulsive effects…
As high-potency cannabis (with high Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol content) becomes easily accessible and widespread, it is of extreme importance for public health that a scientific platform is used to implement practical guidelines, particularly for at-risk populations. Many reviews have been written in the past decade summarizing the impact of cannabis in the developing brain. One critical concept frequently mentioned…
Open article record in new tab ↗The dietary ligands, omega-3 fatty acid endocannabinoids (eCBs) eicosapentaenoyl ethanolamide (EPEA) and docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide (DHEA), and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and butyrate, have anti-inflammatory and antidepressant properties. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their action in the human brain remain elusive. Here, we treated human hippocampal neurons (HPC0A07/03 C)…
Background The link between cannabis use and schizophrenia is well-established in epidemiological studies, especially among adolescents with early-onset use. However, this association in rodent models is less clear. This meta-analysis examined the effects of adolescent cannabinoid exposure on distinct schizophrenia-like behaviours in rodents and how experimental variations influence outcomes. Methods Following a p…
Modelling the prodrome to severe mental disorders (SMD), including unipolar mood disorders (UMD), bipolar mood disorders (BMD) and psychotic disorders (PSY), should consider both the evolution and interactions of symptoms and substance use (prodromal features) over time. Temporal network analysis can detect causal dependence between and within prodromal features by representing prodromal features as nodes, with th…
Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) is of increasing concern globally, due to the potential impact on offspring neurodevelopment, and its association with childhood and adolescent brain development and cognitive function. However, there is currently a lack of research addressing the molecular impact of PCE, that may help to clarify the association between PCE and neurodevelopment. To address this knowledge gap, here…